Emergency controller for elevators



il ,4 52 5W? 2 Sheets-'Sheet 1 Juy 241, l 923.

A. J. JOHNSON EMERGENQY CONTROLLER FOR ELEvA'ToRs Fild March l5.

Jim/ 24, w23. 11,462.5@7 A. J. .JOHNSON EMERGENCY CONTROLLER FOR ELEVATORS Filed March l5 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented duly 2d, i923.,

. laltihdit ARTHUR J'. JOHNSON', OF PAUL, MINNESGTA, .i'SSG-NOE TO STANDARD CONVEYOR COMPANY, A CORPORATON OF MNNESOTA.

`Edvl'ldGENCY CONTROLLER FSB ELEVATORS.

Application'led March 15, 1921.

To all whom t may. conce/rfa:

Be it known that l, ARTHUR J. JoriNsoN, a citizen of the United States,'residing` at St. Paul, in the county of -Ramsey and State ot Minnesota, have invented new and useitul Improvements in Emergency Controllers for Elevators, ot' which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in emergency controllers for elevators.

ln reightelevators of the type wherein a series of ele rater trays, carried by endless chains, are arranged to automatically deliver packages to suitable discharge stations, damage to packages and the elevator is likely to result when a package, 'for any reason, is detained on the discharge station,

It is my object to obviate this diiiiculty by providing' a novel and eii'icient controller that will stop the elevator motor when a package is detained on the discharge station.

More particularly it is my object to prou vide, in a device of this kind, a sweeper arm which will oscillate over the discharge stan tion and is connected with a switch in the elevator motor circuit in a manner to actuate said switch to stop said motor when the sweeper arm meets an obstruction on the discharge station.

A further object ot my invention is to provide a. device of this kind that may be applied to an elevator wherein the discharge stations are removable from the path oic the u elevator trays.

@ther objects of my invention will appear and be more :tully pointed ont in the olloivingl specification and claims.

Referring to the accompanyingv drawings Figure l is an elevation of my device to` gether with the adjacent trame members oi an elevator of common type, the position oit one of the elevator trays being indicated in dotted lines; Fig. 2 is an elevation of the same as viewed from the right of Figure l and Fig. 3 is a plan vieiv of the same showing an elevator tray in the position it occupies when passing the discharge station,

rEhe elevator illustrated in the drawings is of the type having a series of trays l which are carried. by endless chains 2 (Fig. 3) and provided with pairs ot Wheels 3 journailed on the ends oit the trays. As shown Serial No. 452,582.

in Fig. 3, these Wheels 3 roll upon opposite faces ot guide angles l of the elevator frame, the chain 2 being connected by bosses 5 at the middle ot each oit the ends of the elevator trays l. ri`he trays i are grid-like and formed in tivo sections connected by a bar 6. 'lhe inwardly projecting bars 7 of the tray are arranged to pass between adjacent rollers ot the discharge station.

The discharge station consists of three rollers S, 9 and i0 journalled in the upivardly projectingends of clip angles 11 and said clip angles are rigidly secured to the upper surface of transverse bars 12, mounted on a beam 13. rl`his beam is connected at one end by al casting le to a beam 15 which passes through a square -hole in said casting and is supported at its ends on horizontal angles 16 of the elevator frame. The beam 15 is journallcd near its ends in bearings 1'? which are secured in suitable manner to the upper surface of the angles 'i6 and one end ot said beam projects through one of the bearings 17 to receive a hand lever i8. n arm 15L is tast on the beam 15 adjacent to one of the bearings 17 and said arm curves outward over the upper surface ot the supporting angle 1G and is provided with a set screnT 15b which impinges against said upper surface. rlhis arm and set screw is provid-ed to form an adjustable stop for the discharge station. The hand lever 1S is 'fast on the end oi the beam l5 and is provided to rota-te said beam l5 so as to turn the discharge station rollers S, 9 and l0 to a position where said rollers are in a substantially vertical plane. This removes the discharge station from the path of. the elevator trays and makes it possible, in an elevator havingl a plurality of discharge stations, to select the station which will receive the packages. In Fig. 3 a section of rollers 19, mounted between side rails 20, is shown in position for receiving packages in the usual manner from the rollers 8, 9 and l() of the discharge station.

My controller proper is mounted upon a series of angle irons 21, 22 and 23 which are fastened at their ends tothe guide angles 4 of the elevator frame. A vertical shaft 24C is journalled at its ends in backets 25 and 26, respectively, and has an intermediate bearing in a bracket 27.

These brackets are severally secured to the angle irons 21, 23 and 22 and the brackets 25 and 27 project inward toward the elevator trays and are provided with bearings for horizontal shafts 28 and 29. A pair of arms 30 and 31 are rigidly secured to the inner ends of ther shafts 28 and 29 while bevelled gears 32 and 33 are fast on the outer ends of said shafts. Gears 34 and 35 are keyed to the shaft 24 to mesh with the gears 32 and 33, respectively.

The arms 30 and 31 are angle irons connected in suitable manner, near their upper ends, to the inner ends of the shafts 23 and 29 and arranged at such an angle on said shaft that their lower ends project into the path of the adjacent wheels3 of the elevator trays 1. As a tray passes downward from the discharge station the wheel 3 first comes in contact with the arm 31 and moves said arm downward to the dotted line position shown in Figure 1. This, through the shaft 29, gears 32 and 35, -shaft 24, gears 34 and 32 and shaft 2S1 moves the arm 30 to its dotted line position. As the tray continues downward from the arm 31 the wheel 3 on said tray strikes the arm 39 (now in its dotted line position) and moves said arm back to its full line position (Figure 1). This movement, as will be readily understood, also returns the arm 31 to its full line or starting position and turns the shaft 24 in the opposite direction. rl'hus, the shaft 24 is .given an oscillating movement about its axis, as the trays move downward from the discharge station.

Means for transmitting the above described oscillating motion of the shaft 24 to a sweeper arm 36 consist of the following mechanism. A clutch, comprising two members 39 and 40, is mounted on the shaft 24 to disconnect the sweeper arm 36 from said shaft when said arm meets an obstruction on the discharge station. A coiled spring 37, surrounding the upper part of the shaft 24, beneath the bearing 26, impinges against the lower surface of said bearing and against the upper surface of a flange 33 which is formed on the upper member 39 of the clutch. This member 39 is generally cylindrical in shape and the shaft 24 passes through a suitable axial bore in said mem ber. The lower member 40 of the clutch is similarly bored to receive the shaft 24 and is free to revolve on said shaft but is secured against longitudinal movement thereon by a collar 41 which is fast on said shaft and is free to rotate in a. suitable recess in said member of the clutch. Interlocking cam surfaces 42 are formed on the upper and lower ends, respectively, of the members 40` and 39 and the member 39 is free to move longitudinally on the shaft 24 but secured against rotation on said shaft by a suitable key (not shown). The member 40 is fue ther formed with a pair of ears 43 which support the arm 36. This arm 36 is carried in a socket 44 which is formed intergral with a pair of levers 45 and the ears and levers 45 are perforated to receive a wrist pin 46 upon which said leversv are free to pivot. The upper ends of the levers 45 are pivotally connected with a pair of substantially vertical bolts 47 a-nd the lower ends of said bolts are pivotally fastened in the upper ends of a yoke 4S. This yoke is formed integral with a casting 49 having an annular groove 50 formed therein. The shaft 24 lits loosely in a suitable central bore in the casting 49 and a pair of stud bolts 51 are rigidly held in the upper end of a second yoke 52 and project into the annular groove 50, fitting loosely therein. The yoke 52 is formed integral with a rack 53 and said rack is provided with bearings 54 on the shaft 24. Meshing with the rack 53 is a gear segment 55 which is rigidly mounted on the beam l5 adjacent to one of the horizontal angles 16.

A switch 56, connected by suitable wiring with the elevator motor (not shown) is mounted on the under side of the horizontal angle 23 and adapted to be actuated by a roller mounted on the switch bar 53 and arranged to roll upon the upper surface of the flange 33. A spring 59 is provided to hold the roller 57 on the bar 58 in contact with the flange 38. The lswitch 56 is connected with the elevator motor so that when the bar 58 is moved upward against the action of the spring 59, the motor will be stopped.

v Operation.

ward until one of its wheels 3 strikes the arm 31 and moves said arm to the dotted Aline position (Figure 1). v This, as described above, turns the shaft 24 and the upper member 39 of the clutch (being keyed to said Shaft) is also turned. By reason of the intermeshing cam surfaces 42 and thedownward pressure of the spring 37. this turn ing motion is transmitted to the lower member 40 of the clutch which carries the arm 36. The bolts 47, being connected to the levers 45, turn and rotate the casting 49 which is free to rotate between the ends-of the yoke 52. Thus, the arm 36 is swept over the discharge station to the dotted line position shown in Fig. v3. The elevator tray after passing the arm 31, continues downward until it strikes the arm 30 (said arm being now in the dotted line position) and moves said arm to the full line position (Figure 1). rihis turns the shaft 24 in the opposite direction and by means of the clutch under the action of the spring 37 moves the arm 36 bach to its full line position (Figure 3).

lf any obstruction causes a package to remain on the discharge station so as to block the passage of succeeding elevator trays, the arm 36 in sweeping over the discharge station will strike said retarded package and stop the elevator through the following coaction of the parts. Upon striking an obstacle the arm 36 is stopped in its oscillating motion and as the shaft 24 is further rotated by the arm 3l, the torque transmitted from the member 39 to the member li() of the chitch becomes sufficient to over-come the resistance of thespring 3'? in holding the cam surfaces i2 in mesh and the member ,39 moves upward against the action of said spring, thus, actuating the switch 56 to stop the motor before the tray that has tilted the arm 31 reaches the arm 30. As soon as the obstruction has been removed from the discharge station, the arm 36 moves to its normal position, allows' the member 39 to move downward into engagement withthe member 40 and permits the spring 59 to move the switch 56 to operating position.

TWhen it is desired to remove a discharge station from the path of the elevator trays the lever 18 is moved to the dotted line position (Figure 1). This turns the beam 15 and gear segment 55 andthe latter gear, being in mesh with the rack 53, draws the vertical rods i7 downward by means of the yoke 48, moves the levers i5 to a horizontal position on the pin i6 and raises the arm 36 and discharge station to the substantially vertical position shown in dotted lines in Figure 1. Thus, the arm 36is moved out of the way when the adjacent discharge station is not in use.

Having described my invention what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. fn combination with an elevator carrying a tray, a substantially vertical shaft revolubly supported on the elevator frame, arms mounted on said frame and projecting into the path of said tray, gearing connecting said arms with said shaft, an arm connected with said shaft and arranged to be moved horizontally over a discharge station of said elevator and a switch adapted to be actuated when the motion of said arm is arrested by an obstacle on said discharge station.

2. In a controller for an elevator hav-ing a series of trays, a shaft supported on the elevator frame, arms mounted on said frame and projecting into the path of said trays,

gearing connecting said arms with said shaft, a clutch on said shaft, a sweeper arm connected with said clutch and arranged to be moved horizontally over a dischareg station of said elevator b v said shaft and a switch adapted to be actuated when the motion of said sweeper arm is arrested by an obstacle on said discharge station, said switch being in circuit with the elevator motor.

3. ln a controller for an elevatorl having a tray, a vertical shaft supported on the vator frame, means mounted on said frame and projecting into the path of said tray for imparting oscillating motion to said shaft. an arm connected with said shaft and arranged to be moved horizontally above a discharge station of said elevator and a switch adapted to beactuated when the motion of said arm is arrested by an obstacle on said discharge station.

4. In an elevator having series of trays, a frame, a shaft supported in saidrframen arms mounted on said frame and arranged to be tilted by the passage of eleif'ator trays means operative to turn said shaft when said arms are tilted, a sweeper arm connected with said shaft and arranged to be moved horizontally over a discharge station of said elevator, a switch mounted on said frame and means connect-ingsaid switch with said sweeper arm whereby said switch wili be actuated when the motion of said arm is .ar-- rested by an obstacle on said discharge sta tion.

5. ln an elevator having a series of trays,` a frame, a shaft supported on said frame1 arms mounted on said frame and arranged to be tilted by the passage of elevator trays,

means operative to turn said shaft when said arms yare tilted, a two part clutch mounted on said shaft, a sweeper arm connected to one member of said clutch and arranged to be moved horizontally over a discharge station of said elevator, a switch mounted on said frame and means connect-- ing said switch with the other member of said clutch wherebysaid switch will be actuated when the motion of said sweeper arm is arrested by an obstacle on said discharge station. i

6. ln an elevator having a series of trays, a frame, a shaft supported on said frame, a two part clutch mounted on said shaft, one member of said clutch being slidable longitudinally on said shaft and the other member being revoluble on said shaft, a sweeper arm connectedto the revoluble part of said clutch and arranged to be moved horizontally over a discharge station of said elevator, a switch mounted on said frame and arranged to be actuated by longitudinal movement of the slidable member of said clutch, meshing cam surfaces on the members of said clutch, a spring to hold said surfaces in mesh and to allow said slidable member of said clutch to actuate said switch when said sweeper arm is arrested by an obstacle on said discharge stationv and means ior imparting oscillating motion to said shaft.

7. ln an elevator having a tray, a. lrame, a shaft supported en said traino, arms mounted on said frame and arranged to be tilted by the passage of said elevator tray, means operative to turn the shat't when the arms are tilted, a two part clutch mounted on said shaft, one member oit said clutch being slidable longitudinally on said shaft and the other member being revoluble on said shaft, a sweeoer arm connected to the'revoe luble member oi:l said clutch and arranged to swing horizontally over a discharge station of said elevator, a switch mounted on said frame and arranged to be actuated by longitudinal movement or' the slidable member of said clutch, meshing cam surfaces on the adjacent tacos or said clutch and a spring to hold said surfaces in mesh and to allow the slidable member et said clutch to be moved to actuate said switch when saidsweeper arm is arrested by an obstacle on said discharge station.

8. ln an elevator having a tray and removable discharge stations, a frame, a shalt supported en said frame, arms mounted on said traine and arranged to bel tilted by the passage of said elevator tray, means operative to turn the shaft when the arms are tilted, a clutch mounted on said. sha-lit, one member of said clutch being' slidable lonlgitudinally on said shait, and the other membei' being revoluble on said shaft, a sweeper arm connected to the i'evoluble member of .sa-id clutch and arranged to swing horizontally over a discharge station et said eleva-4 tor, a switch mounted on said trame and arranged to be actuated by longitudinal movement of the slidable member of said clutch, meshing cam surfaces on the contacting 'laces of said clutch, a spring to hold said surfaces in mesh and to allow said slidable member of said clutch toactuate said switch when said sweeper armis arrested by an obstacle on said discharge station and means Jor removing a dischargestation and said sweeper arm simultaneously from the path ofsaid elevator tray. Y

9. In a controller for an elevator having a treff and discharge stations, a vertical shaft. revolubly supported on the elevator frame, means mounted on said frame and projecting into the path of said tray for iinparting oscillating motion to said shaft, a

sweeper arm connected with said shaft and arranged'to be moved horizontally over a discharge station, a. switch adapted to be actuated when the motion of said sweeper arm is arrested by an obstacle on said discharge station, a lever connected to said disw charge station, to be nianiixpiulated to remove said station from the path of said elevator tray and means :tor removing said sweeper arm from the path of said elevator tray.

l0. ln a controller ier an elevator having a series et trays and discharge stations, a vertical shaft ievolubly supported on the elevator frame, means mounted on said trame and projecting into the path et said trays for imparting oscillating motion to said shaft, an arm connected with said shatt and arranged to vbe moved horizontally above a discharge station,` a switch adapted to be actuated when the motion of said arm is arrested by an obstacle on said discharge station and. means for simultaneously removing a discharge station and said sweeper arm from the path of the elevator trays.

1l. ln a controller for an elevator having a, tray and a discharge station,an arm adapted to be `oscillated over said station, means 'for imparting oscillating`movement to said arm, and a switch adapted to be actuated when the motion of said arm is ar rested by an obstacle on said station.

'12. ln a controller for an elevator having a tray and a discharge station, an arm adapted to be oscillated over saidv station, means operated by said tray Jier imparting oscillating movement to said arm, and a switchadapted to be actuated when the mo'- tion oi said arm is arrested by an obstacle on said station.

ln testimony whereof, l have hereunto signed my name to this speciiication.

ARTHUR J. JOHNSON.

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